The tables have been turned on the majority of Orange County’s federal lawmakers, who now find themselves in the House minority.

And the county delegation’s lone Democrat, Rep. Loretta Sanchez, is getting her first taste of majority status. She will lead a subcommittee of the homeland security panel.

The 2007 goals of the six members reflect a belief that on some matters they can work with the other side of the aisle. Yet they plan to stick to their guns on such hot-button issues as immigration.

Rep. Gary Miller, for example, said his housing and community development goals are in line with those of Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., the new chairman of the Financial Services Committee.

“We want to work on things we can agree on,” Miller said. “Let’s do those. Then let’s go argue about things we don’t agree on.”

Rep. Ed Royce said he plans to work with Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., on revamping the alternative minimum tax – one area where he believes they can cooperate.

Sanchez said she knows more will be expected of her now that she’s in the majority. She said her telephone has been ringing constantly with requests.

Being in the majority “sounds great,” Sanchez said. But she said: “We’re going to try to figure out how to bring down the deficit and the debt. We can want to do a whole lot of stuff, but there’s not going to be a whole lot of money to do it with.”

Royce and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher said they will rely on public opinion to counter what they expect to be an effort by Democrats to pass an immigration bill the two Republicans consider amnesty.

“The American people had better gird themselves for a shock – that their government is now controlled both in the legislative branch and the executive branch by people committed to an open-border, pro-immigration position,” said Rohrabacher, referring to President Bush’s support of a broad immigration bill.

Rep. John Campbell, who was in the minority in the state Assembly and state Senate, said he is trying to be pragmatic about his goals.

Last year, Campbell made it a goal to ensure that any immigration bill include a provision cracking down on communities that bar local police from picking up illegal immigrants. This year, Campbell said he dropped it because it would be futile.

Congress usually waits for the president’s State of the Union speech before getting down to legislating. That speech is Tuesday. But the new Democratic majority began passing bills two weeks ago in a manner that irked many Republicans.

Campbell said that though House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she wanted a partnership, “The floor debates have been the most partisan I’ve seen.”

Sanchez has said Democrats went ahead on their six-point agenda without allowing committee deliberation or amendments because the issues, such as minimum wage and stem cell research, were vetted in the last Congress and in the campaign.

Rep. Ken Calvert

R-CORONA, 44th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 2007 GOALS

Immigration: Make the Employment Eligibility Verification System mandatory.

Transportation: Get federal funding for transportation projects such as work on the Riverside (91) Freeway, grade separations, the San Diego (I-5) Freeway/Ortega (74) Highway interchange and the Foothill (241) Toll Road extension.

Taxes: Get bill passed to keep banks out of the real estate business.

Military: Ensure that the House supports more C-17s for future production.

NASA: Seek reports and hearings to ensure that the agency adheres to the NASA Authorization Act of 2005.

Consumer:Pass bill to require insurance companies to make a posting on an accessible database whenever a car is totaled to keep cars previously involved in accidents or damaged in another way from being passed off as being in good condition.

Internet: Pass bill to make the Internet permanently free of new taxes. (Current moratorium expires at the end of 2007.)

Immigration: Prevent repeal of the border-fence bill.

Housing: Expand homeownership by raising Federal Mortgage Administration loan limits and include provision to allow co-op owners to take advantage of reverse mortgages, something designed to help communities such as Laguna Woods.

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